BEYOND THE BASICS

Dairy Field, Nov 2004 by Turner, Jeanne

Meeting the growing demand for robust cheeses relies on good milk, strong starters and quality flavors.

Through weight-loss fads, health warnings and the general dietary upheaval of the past few years, Americans continue to enjoy cheese. Yet while cheddar and mozzarella still top domestic cheese production, other numbers show a slow change that reflect an evolving culture and maturing palate.

We're eating more of it, too. Per capita consumption has risen steadily for the past 20 years, topping 30.6 pounds in 2003. However, projections from the USDA 2004 Agricultural Outlook predict this number will increase by about 2 pounds per capita by 2013. Where does a processor turn to boost sales figures?

Perhaps the answer lies in creating special flavor varieties and specialty cheeses. The Wisconsin Agricultural Statistic Service records that in 2003 close to 13 percent of cheese produced in this dairy state was a specialty cheese. Consumer interest and demand also has spurred increased organic processing. No more than a blip on the radar screen a decade ago, today Wisconsin plays host to more than 250 organic dairy farms.

Ethnic cheese varieties, particularly Hispanic styles, proliferate. In this arena, California is the leader, producing 82.3 million pounds of Hispanic-style cheese in 2003, in more than 25 types and forms, according to the California Milk Advisory Board. Exciting varieties such as asadero, anejo enchilado, queso fresco and cotija are moving rapidly into the culinary mainstream.

New Trend Research

Addressing the North Central Cheese Industries Association recently, Brookings, S.D., Barb Luehmann, foodservice marketing director of the St. Paul, Minn.-based Midwest Dairy Association, focused on "hot Cheese Trends for 2004 and Beyond."

Luehmarm says an online foodservice survey asked consumers to select their favorite cheese ingredient choice for nine different menu items. They were able to select from among 14 different types of cheese, and rank their first, second and third choices.

"We're seeing that born-in-the-USA cow's milk cheeses can compete with. European varieties," Luehmann says.

Another point that came out during the research and has been borne out by sales figures ae artisanal or small batch cheese seem to offer consumers a link to the farm. And distinctly flavored ingredients blended into the cheese will continue in popularity.

But where does it all begin? With the milk.

Milk Quality

Any good cheese manufacturer acknowledges that milk quality is the biggest factor affecting overall product quality. Artisanal cheesemakers boast on their Web sites about their cows. A debate rages on the virtues of pasture fed versus grain fed animals. Some cheesemakers even tout the different taste nuances based on seasonality.

Jeff Jirik, president and chief executive officer of Faribault Dairy Co., Faribault, Minn., is producing blue cheese "the old way, or traditional way," he says. "Obviously milk is the biggest factor, but most of our milk is Holstein and all of it is grade A. We don't want to compete with the bacteria already present in there, so we're producing a heat-treated raw-milk cheese."

Instead of heat treatment, a processor might choose to battle off flavors using specific cultures. Mali Reddy, Ph.D., president of Denver-based IMAC, says cheese processors need to focus more on the raw material - the milk.

"Where my gut feeling is, the important factors are proper starter culture, proper usage, and raw milk quality," says Reddy. "Good-quality raw milk gives good cheese."

Reddy contends that, back in the 1930s and 1940s, there was more lactic flora in the milk. "But with the advent of refrigeration, these natural flora are not growing any more," he says. "Other bad bacteria, such as psychotrophs, grow in cold temperatures and produce off-flavors in cheese."

IMAC produces a culture mix called Silo-Guard(TM) that, Reddy says, reduces psychotrophic count, "cutting it significantly to the tune of one to two logs. It also protects the fat and the protein."

"Taste-wise it reduces bitterness and decreases the abnormal fermentation flavor," he says. "You want people to relish your product."

A Good Start

Once milk quality is assured, what's next? Starter cultures come in multiple varieties and forms. And an important part of the work of cheese manufacturers, regardless of type or flavor intensity, is avoiding spoilage, particularly through bacteriophage attack.

Most cheese-flavor development stems from the use of either a single strain or a combination of lactic acid bacteria. They operate by converting milk sugar in the curd (the lactose) into lactic acid. The more rapid development, the better the cheese, some say, while other starter cultures work more slowly and the cheese ripens at a slower pace.

When starters fail, or phage attacks, then milk fermentation is insufficient, and this impacts the taste, texture, consistency and aroma of the finished product.

So each time a culture company introduces new strains for a particular type of cheese manufacture, it gives the processor a larger arsenal of starter cultures to select from for rotation.